Illuminated-number-plate bracket



T. KlRWlN ILLUMINATED NUMBER PLATE BRACKET Dec. 2, 1924. 1,51f 7,736

Filed DeC. 19, 1923 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented .Dec 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,517,736` PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS KIRWIN, OF LONGMEADOW, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES S. ROOT, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ILLUMINATED-NUMBER-PLATE BRACKET.

Application filed December To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS liInWiN, a citizen of the United States of' America, and a resident of Longmeadow, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a nen7 and useful llluminated-Number-Plate Bracket, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in brackets or holders for the number-plates and illuminating means therefor, of automobiles, and consists essentially of a frame adapted to have attached thereto a perforated number-plate, and carrying a translucent plate which affords the necessary backing for said number-plate, a rear support capable. of being attached, preferably by means of bolts and nuts, to an automobile, an arm rising from` said support, an incandescent electric lamp having its socket mounted in said arm, and a lamp casing mounted in said frame and on said socket, and having an opening in the underside thereof to permit the light from said lamp to pass downwardly behind said plate, together with such other parts and members as may be necessary7 or desirable 1n order to render the bracket or holder complete and serviceable in every respect, all as hereinafter set forth.

The primary object of my invention is to produce a comparatively simple, compact, convenient, strong, and durable bracket for a perforated number-plate at either end of an automobile, such bracket being readily attachable to and detachable from such end, and provided with means to illuminate said number-plate characters at night and means to render them visible by day. The aforesaid illuminating means may consist of. or constitute a tail-light, when the. bracket located at the rear of the machine.

Another object is to provide means, in a bracket of this character, nf'hereby the number-plate can be readily changed, a (ifracked or broken backing plate can be removed and a Whole plate substituted therefor Without difficulty, and the lamp elements may be easily and quickly attached to and detached from the supporting parts and members therefor.

If the bracket be mounted at the front end of an automobile, the lamp casing Should b@ Provided with a White or 19, 1923i. seriaI No. 681,625.

lens instead of a red one, or the illuminating means may be omitted altogether, but, in the latter event, the number-plate is only visible in the daylight, or in a sufficiently strong artificial lght from a source which is apart from or indepedent of the bracket.

Other objects and advantages Will appear in the course of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a front elevation of an illuminated number-plate bracket which embodies a practical form of my invention; Fig. 2, a rear elevation of said bracket, and, Fig. 3, a central, transverse, vertical section through said bracket, looking toward the left.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.

A number-plate, such asis used in connection With my bracket, is represented at l. The number-plate l is made of sheet-metal, out of a piece of a suitable size and shape of which are cut or stamped such fragmentary portions of such piece as is necessary in order to form or produce ytherein the required characters or numerals and letters. In other Words, the numerals and letters of the number-plate are cut into the same. Obviously, therefore, light can pass freely through `the cut-out portions of thc -number-plate, Whether such light be natural or artificial, and the numerals and letters are thus caused to have a sharply or clearly defined appearance or character, in contrast to the uncut portions of said numberplate, and to be plainly distinguishable. The' outer surface of the number-plate may be of any desired color, and the color of the characters eut therein may also be of any desired color, but usually such cliiarmztcrs show White, as will hereinafter be more fully explained. The bracket comprises a frame 2, a support 3, an arm et, a translucent plate 5, which is usually and preferably of glass. and means to retain saidplate in place. ln addition to the parts and members just enumerated, there is a lamp casing 6 Which is provided with a lens 7, an incandescent electric lamp 8 and a socket 9 therefor, and a cylindrical Window l0 of glass or other transparent or translucent material Within said casing. In the underside of the casing 6 is a slot or opening 11. The window or glass cylinder 10 covers the opening 11 to exclude dust and water trom the interior ot the casing 6. The casing (i with its lens 7 in general is ot usual and well-known construction, likewise the lamp 8 and the socket 9.

The frame 2 has a rectangular opening 12 therein, and the number-plate 1 1s secured to the t'ront of said trame over said opening by means of a plurality of screws 13, there being in the present case our of such screws, one in each corner. The screws 13 pass through the number-plate and are tapped into the trame. Convenient mea-ns are thus afforded for attaching the numberplate to and detaching it from the trame, and enabling a change in number-plates to be easily and quickly made.

The backing plate 5 is held in place against the back side of the trame 2 and behind the opening 12 therein by means of upper and under flange-plates 14 and end flange-plates 15, and a plurality of screws 16. Each of the aforesaid flange-plates is made angular or has. an offset part in cross section to form a receiving shoulder and lip for the plate 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The screws 16 pass through the portions of the flange-plates 1a and 15 that are in contact with the Jframe 2, and are tapped into said Jframe. Upon taking out the screws 16 which secure the lower flange-plate let to the frame 2, and taking off such flangeplate, the plate 5 ycan be slipped downwardly out of engagement with the upper Hangeplate 14 and the end flange-plate 15 and entirely removed from the trame. Such removal and the replacing` of a new backing plate may thus be effected easily and quickly, such replacement being necessary in the event such plate becomes damaged or broken. rlhe plate 5 is usually and preferably made of white, translucent glass, or ot' glass which is etched, in order that a white backing may be provided for the number-plate 1, which backing enables. rays ot' artilicial light to pass through andilluminate said numberplate, or the cut-out, charaeter-forming portions thereof, on the one hand, and to cause the characters cut in said number-plate to shown white 'in daylight, on the other hand The support 3 is a horizontal element consisting of end and back pieces. The tree or forward ends of the end pieces of the support 3 are secured, by means oit screws or rivets 21, to the back sides of the frame 9J adjacent to the ends and near the top of said frame. ln the back piece of the support 3 are two longitudinally-extending slots 20. The bolts (not shown), by which the bracket is 'fastened to a convenient supporting part of the automobile, pass through the slots 20 in the support 3, Vand such slots permit the bracket to be moved endwise for adjustment to whatever extent may be necessary.

he arm 4 has its lower termina-l secured, by means olf screws or rivets 17, to the back piece of the support 3, on the inside thereot` and between the slots 20 therein. The arm #l extends upwardly from the back piece of the support 3, forwardly, and again upwardly. ln the upper-terminal portion of the arm 1l is an opening to receive the socket S). Rising from the top of the frame 2 in the center thereof is an extension 1 8, and such extension has an opening therein to receive the lamp casing (l. rl'he casing G, after being passed through the opening in the extension 1S, trom the 'front side ol said extension, is caused to abut ol' bear with its rear or inner end against the uppcr-teriniinil portion ot' the arm et, and may be secured to such arm by means et screws 1S) which pass through said arm and are tapped into said casing. The casing 6 is positioned and supported, in the manner and by the means just explained, with its lens T in trent of the projection 1S and its opening 11 above the space immediately behind the glass plate 5. Thus the light from the lamp 8 shines through the lens 'i' in front and through the glass cylinder 1() and the opening 1l below. The rays of light which pass through the opening` 11 from the lamp S illuminate the plate 5 and cause the numerals and letters in the number-plate 1 to appear in clearly defined outlines in sharp contrast to the uncut portions of the numlier-plate.

In the daytime the white background, provided by the translucent backing plate enables the numerals and letters in the mnnber-plate 1 to be sharply defined and clearly seen and read from any point in `liront ot said niunber-plate and within a reasonable distance troni the saine. M; night, when the electric current is turned on to the lamp S. the numerals and letters in the number-plate are also sharply delined, as above stated, and can be clearlyv discerned and read from a point suiliciently tar in advance ol; said ninnber-platc.

lVhen -the bracket is carried at the l'ront olil the machine. the lens 7 should he whil'c, or oi' some color other than red, or the lainp niay be omitted altogetljiei',`

More or less change in thc shape, size construction, and arr:lngeinent of some or all oit the parts oi' this device may be made. without departing from the spirit o1' iny invention, or exceeding the scope of what is claimed.

lhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters APatent. is

1. In an illuminated number-plate bracket. a vertical frame having an opening there in, a perforated number-plate secured to thi` trent side of said trame over said opening,

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a translucent plate secured to the back side of said frame over said opening and behind said number-plate, there being a space between said two plates, a support secured to said frame and located. behind the same, an arm rising from said support, a casing supported by the upper parts of said frame and arm, and a lamp in said casing, the latter being adapted to permit the rays from said lamp to pass downwardly and illuminate said plates.

2. In an illuminated number-plate bracket, a vertical frame having an opening therein, a. perforated number-plate attached to the 'liront side ot' said i'rame over said opening', a translucent plate attached to the back Isido oi said frame over said opening and behind said number-plate, there being a space between said two plates, a support attached to said iframe and located behind the saine, said support comprising two rearwaidly-extending arms and a connecting member, an arm rising from said connecting member, a casing supported by the upper parts of said frame and upwardly-extending arm, and a lamp in said casing, the latter being adapted to permit the rays from said lamp to pass downwardly and illuminate said plates.

3. In an illuminated number-plate bracket, a iframe having an opening therein, a vertical perforated number-plate secured to the front side of said frame over said opening, a translucent plate adapted to cover said opening behind said number-plate, with a space between the two plates removable flange-plates secured to the side of said frame and having engaging edge portions for said translucent plate, a support attached to said frame and located behind the same, an arm rising from said support, a casing supported by the upper parts of said frame and arm, and a lamp in said casing, the

latter being adapted to permit the rays from said lamp to pass downwardly and illuminate said plates.

et. The combination, in an illuminated number-plate bracket, with a frame havingl upper and lower openings therein, a perforated number-plate attached to said frame over said lower opening, a translucent plate attached to said frame over said lower opening and behind said number-plate, a support attached to said frame and located behind the same, and a perforated arm rising from said support, of a lamp casing passing through the upper opening in said frame and abutting said arm, said casing having an opening therein above the space behind. said translucent plate, a lamp socket in. thc lierforation in said arm, and a lamp at taclied to said socket and positioned in said casing.

5f. The combination, in an illuminated number-plate bracket, with a frame having upper and lower openings therein, a perforated number-plate attached to said frame over said lower opening, a translucent plate attached to said frame behind said numberplate, a support attached to said frame and located behind the same, and a perforated arm rising from said support, of a lamp casing passing through the upper opening in said trame and abutting said arm, said casing having an opening therein above the space behind said translucent plate, means to secure said casing to said arm, a window in said casing over said opening therein, a socket in the perforation in said arm, and a lamp carried by said socket and positioned in said casing.

F. A. CUTTER, C. S. Roo'r. 

